Functional Behavioral Analysis and Behavior Support Plans in Special Education

Introduction

Functional Behavioral Assessment is defined as a process aimed to analyze and evaluate problem behavior patterns of students with special needs The influences of special education and the mental health movement upon the development of school psychology should have provided a basis for school psychologists to develop roles that emphasize intervention as well as assessment. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. School psychologists were born of the necessity for diagnosticians (Borgmeier and Horner 2006). Well-trained professionals capable of making important educational classification decisions were required. In response to this pressing need, psychologists turned to the tools available at the time, psychological tests. Looking around for techniques to make their decisions more objective and reliable, they found few methods had been developed to refine their decision-making process. As a result, school psychologists began relying on individual intelligence scales, achievement tests, and personality measures in performing assessments. The applicability of this approach to schoolbased problems was never questioned because most psychologists in schools at the time were trained in a clinical, diagnostic model. “Cone (1997) described functional behavior assessment (EBA) as activities involved in formulating hypotheses about controlling variables that maintain a behavior, whereas functional behavior assessment refers to the experimental manipulation of the variables to demonstrate a causal relationship between the controlling variable and the problem behavior” (Stage et al 2002, p. 71). The logic in this model seemed straightforward. Arriving at a diagnostic decision points one toward selection of appropriate treatment techniques. Derived from a medical model, this perspective makes sense. Until one decides whether one has a virus or bacterial infection, the correct medication cannot be prescribed. Borrowing this model and translating to educational terms, it is thought that until one decides whether one is mentally retarded, learning disabled, or emotionally disturbed, the appropriate educational program cannot be prescribed. As school psychologists began considering alternatives to their diagnostic model, the profession was undergoing drastic changes. More than any other issue, school psychologists have been searching for professional identity (Chamberlain, 2005).

Student description/background

Student background involves preschool years and family background which has influenced development of a person. Preschool through age six, educational professionals join with parents and doctors to identify problems or special needs. As a child gets older, the complexity of a potential problem may intensify (e.g., poor vision or lack of mobility); some problems become very obvious, but in some cases they remain hidden. As an example of the latter, a child may demonstrate aggressive behavior because he is easily frustrated due to lack of achievement, triggering low self-esteem (Borgmeier and Horner 2006). Uncovering the underlying causes of this behavior may require a concerted effort by the parents and medical and educational professionals. Identification of a problem may require a longer assessment (observation) period. A problem may affect how a child learns as well as his opinion of himself. This is a critical time for identifying problems. Following Nichols (2000): “The youths who committed high-profile school violence in the past several years were not known as the most badly behaved students in their communities or the ones with the most severe conduct disorders” (p. 43). Although traditional assessment assumes that behavior is cross-situational, most individuals employing such strategies of assessment would make some attempt to evaluate whether the behavior observed in the testing session actually reflected behavior in the more natural setting (Chamberlain, 2005).

Define and Determine Seriousness of Behavior(s)

A seriousness of behavior is defined by a number and nature of delinquent acts and antisocial behavior patterns. If a child has more than one condition or disability, he will be entitled to receive intervention services from several individuals or agencies based on the results of the assessment findings. The adjectives and definitions describing the conditions affecting the limits of learning differ from district to district, and may be vague or very specific (Borgmeier and Horner, 2006). Definitions are listed in the special education manual of all school districts. However, school districts as public agencies are mandated to follow local, state, and federal guidelines. How programs are set up is likely to vary from one school district to another, based on size, the number of children in special education, the amount of monetary support from local, state, and federal sources, and the parental pressures put on the school system. “If the same child brings a gun to school, the process of inference becomes much more complex” Nichols 2000, p. 43).

Environmental Assessment

An environmental assessment can include the following: formal testing using standardized tests; informal testing through observation by both parents and professionals; and information gathered by questioning parents and collecting a medical history. Additionally, environmental assessment is interested in observable behavior as it reflects these underlying psychodynamics. In contrast, behavioral assessment is primarily interested in observable behavior and views the environmental events as the critical variables in maintenance of the behavioral problem (Carter and Horner 2007). In regards to making classification decisions, the use of traditional psychological tests may be inadequate. Indeed, both the Office of Civil Rights guidelines and Federal Law state that tests be valid for the purposes for which they are used. There is no evidence for the validity of many traditional norm-referenced measures (e.g., aptitude tests, intellectual tests, personality tests, perceptual tests) in making classification and placement decisions. Similar findings have frequently been found for classifying students as emotionally disturbed using instruments commonly employed by psychologists operating from the traditional/diagnostic model. Despite concerns regarding reliability and validity, behavioral assessment offers an opportunity for direct, systematic, and objective assessment of the referral problem. Based on empirical validation, the method can be used to develop and evaluate intervention strategies for both academic and behavioral difficulties (Chamberlain, 2005).

Direct Assessment (e.g. A-B-C, data collection)

Direct basement involve observations and data collection methods aimed to classify behavior patterns and evaluate students’ behavior. “The functional analysis of a behavior begins by determining its antecedents, the context or events that stimulated the youngster to misbehave” (Nichols 2000, p. 43). School administration may be entitled to services by simply filling out a form listing general biographical data. In some cases you may have to fill out a long financial statement, or have your child undergo an intensive testing process. An extensive assessment is overwhelming at first, but parents need to take one step at a time. Direct Assessments are done periodically and can change dramatically over time. It is important to be patient. Your expectations for a quick assessment will most likely be diminished as you go through the process Carter and Horner, 2007). Educators can also control some of the environmental factors during an assessment. Parents can always disagree with an assessment and question the procedure, the testing skills of the administrator of the test, or the subjective or objective conclusions arrived at from the scores, and if necessary can request that the assessment be repeated with more documentation. Traditional assessment assumes that behavior is consistent across time and settings (Gresham et al 2001). This assumption permits one to generalize from very limited samples of behavior. For example, a child who displays non-compliance with an examiner when administered an individual intelligence test, may be viewed as a “non-compliant child” in general. “Reclaiming the disruptive and alienated youngster may require expanding assessment methodology beyond the direct observation of overt behaviors” (Nichols, 2000, p. 43).

Indirect assessment (e.g. interviews, student records)

Indirect assessment is a part of functional behavior analysis p5rocess. Use of a non-traditional role by school psychologists to deliver psychological services requires that an alternative method of assessment also be employed. Two conceptual models for assessment have been identified–traditional and behavioral assessment. The primary difference between these models lie in their assumptions about the nature of behavior and psychopathology (Gresham et al 2001). Where traditional assessment attempts to identify underlying traits and characteristics that determine the personality, behavioral assessment is concerned primarily with describing the conditions that maintain the observable behavior, rarely invoking any personality constructs. Interviews and student records help to analyze psychological causes of misbehavior and emotions of students (Kern et al 2004). Often, interviews with individuals who interact with the child being assessed in the natural environment will be employed to confirm or refute the hypotheses generated through individual testing. Direct observation of the individual in the natural setting may also be used although the observation is not usually systematic. Overall, good psychological practice would support a need to confirm the hypothesis of cross-situationality of behavior Carter and Horner, 2007). “The SARS is a systematic recording and quantification of existing school records” (Gresham et al, 2001, p. 156).

Function Hypothesis

Function Hypothesis assumes behavior to be situationally specific. Environmental events are direct influences on behavior and as environmental events change so does behavior. The extent to which a behavior is actually cross-situational must be assessed, not assumed. In other words, all behavior is assumed to be situation-specific unless demonstrated otherwise.

Behavior Support Plan

Any behavior support plan consists of three main parts: development implementation and control. The purpose of the problem analysis of behavioral support plan is to examine the problems identified in detail and determine those conditions that are antecedents and consequences of the behavior. Additionally, one would identify specific skills that are lacking or deficient in the client and are deemed important for overcoming the identified problem. The problem analysis stage of the consultation consists of two steps, the analysis phase and the plan-design phase. Problem validation requires: assessment of the adequacy of plan, determination of the adequacy of baseline data (Stage et al, 2006).

Background setting refers to those verbal statements that provide information regarding the antecedants, consequences, and sequential conditions that surround the behavior being discussed. These statements include detail regarding what occurred just prior to the problem behavior, what followed the behavior, when the behavior happened, where it happened, how often the behavior happens, and other information that provides clues as to the sequence of actions that surround the occurrences of the problem. Questions such as, “What happened just before Paul tantrumed?”, “What did you do after the tantrum started?”, “When does the tantrum usually occur?”, are all examples of the type of questions that may be asked and would classify as background-setting content. Once the plan is developed, the implementation phase begins. Here the consultant must prepare the consultee for the implementation and operation of the plan. The primary method for consultation during the plan operation is to monitor the progress of the plan through the collection of data. Table 7.5 describes the steps and objectives of this stage. Unlike the previous two stages, there is no specific interview format for conducting the consultation. Instead, consultants examine the data to determine if the plan needs to be revised. Data continue to be collected and the consultant continually monitors the plan implementation until its completion (Stage et al, 2006).

Strategies to increase appropriate behavior(s)

The only way to do this is to evaluate how students can accomplish tasks and gain skills and to identify the level of support they might need to achieve success in school. School districts, medical providers, and local, state, and federal agencies all rely on assessments, to various degrees, to determine the eligibility of a child to receive services or to participate in programs as well as to make decisions about specific placement settings. An assessment also determines the kinds and amount of related services your child needs to benefit from an educational program (e.g., occupational therapy, transportation, speech) (Gable and Hendrickson, 2000). The behavior sub-category involves any verbal statements that include reference to specific behavior. This also includes covert processes such as thinking and feeling as well as observational action. This category is particularly important in helping to better define behavioral events. For example, statements such as “Paula often seems distracted,” are ambiguous and need to be more precisely defined. The use of the behavior sub-category provides verbalizations that better define the nature of “distracted.” Individual characteristics are those verbal statements that reflect attributions made to the individual client. These are generalizations of behaviors that refer to some prevailing personality trait. Included among this category, however, are other characteristics not related to personality but are indigenious to the person such as age, height, weight, body build, and so on. Other personality traits such as shyness, overanxiousness, depression, and stupidity all would be classified in this way (Scott et al, 2000).

Antecedent strategies

The main antecedent strategies are aimed to prevent wrong behavior patterns and motivate students to follow generally accepted rules. The strategies can involve rewards and appraisals for the best students. The behavioral model conceptualizes all consultation as a series of verbal interactions between the student and the teacher. These verbal exchanges can be described in specific, operational terms and change as the consultation process proceeds. As one moves through the various stages of the consultation, the types and quantity of certain verbal statements can be monitored to assess whether the consultant is actually using the prescribed consultation process. The task of the teacher is to create an orderly structured environment for students (Gable and Hendrickson, 2000). “As such, FBA seeks to identify reinforcement and punishment contingencies rather than antecedent events for which influence on behavior is viewed as both secondary to and derived from consequences” (Gresham et al 2001, p. 156).

Consequent strategies

This type of strategies involves strict laws and regulations aimed to control behavior of students. It can be rules of classroom behavior and rules of communication between peers. “Setting events, unlike discriminative stimuli, are removed in time and place from behavior (i.e., behavior is not under the stimulus control of the setting event)” (Gresham et al 2001, p. 156). Whatever rules are required to assess eligibility are administered. If eligibility is ascertained by rules results, special education teachers are provided with a very valuable document. A report clearly identifying the problem, repeated measures of child’s problems, objective and behavioral goals selected that would indicate successful remediation, and clear operational plans for remediation are available (Gable and Hendrickson, 2000).

Strategies to increase maintenance and generalization

Consultation and communication are the main strategies which help to increase maintenance and generalization. They have been defined as everything from talking in the hall to a teacher to the systematic examination of verbal content in the course of an interview. Indeed, an examination of the literature finds not only varying definitions of what consultation actually is, but some individuals use different terms for identical procedures (Borgmeier and Horner, 2006). In addition, some authors have provided well-defined models for consultation procedures. This type of consultation is very common in management and business applications where consultants are asked to offer recommendations that affect employee or management atmosphere and help in achieving a smoother more acceptable corporate operation. In schools, such types of consultation may be applied to the school administrators but is not usually considered when affecting the behavior of individual children (Gable and Hendrickson, 2000).

Summary

Functional Behavioral Assessment is one of the main processes which help educators to change and control behavior of students. In order to establish a program that takes into consideration all of a child’s needs, the communications network needs to include a vehicle for interaction between you and your school-based professionals, as well as outside providers such as doctors and therapists. Children may be eligible to participate in programs if they meet established criteria. It is important to be familiar with all of the components of the assessment process because the outcomes dictate actions that the school may take on behalf of the child. In addition, an assessment also determines the types of related services your child may need and be entitled to receive (e.g., occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy). These early intervention services may be critical to your child’s development. In Functional Behavioral Assessment a special attention should be given to antecedent and consequent strategies. These issues might be addressed by having the model fully implemented on a district-wide basis. Useful information, however, would also result from research by or with psychologists using the model with individual cases without implementation across a larger psychological service unit. well-designed program evaluation research should be conducted. The key components of the model are the use of behavioral consultation, behavioral assessment, and behavioral intervention. In contrast, the functional behavior model is viewed as a classification decision-making process that leads to a determination as to whether a child is legally appropriate for special education. The assessment process of the traditional model consists primarily of standardized intelligence and achievement tests, evaluation of personality via projective testing, case histories, and other traditional assessment processes.

References

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